


12 Prompts of Christmas 2019 (Halo x Touhou Edition)

by Prank (NekoPrankster218)



Series: (blank) Prompts of Christmas [1]
Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms, Touhou Project
Genre: Alcohol, Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Awkwardness, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Vacation, Cold Weather, Common Cold, Crossover, December Prompt Challenge, Denial of Feelings, Drinking, Eggnog, Flashbacks, Gag Gifts, Gen, Gift Giving, Hot Chocolate, Immortality, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Interspecies Awkwardness, Kappa, Lectures, Memories, Mistletoe, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible Out of Character, Post-Game: Halo 3, Pranks and Practical Jokes, References to Canon, References to Depression, Secret Santa, Snowball Fight, Story within a Story, Swearing, Vacation, mystery for the readers to solve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:07:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21799609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoPrankster218/pseuds/Prank
Summary: A short overarching story with each of the 12 chapters pertaining to a different prompt. This year it takes place in a Halo x Touhou Project crossover.
Relationships: Fujiwara no Mokou & N'tho 'Sraom, Fujiwara no Mokou & Usze 'Taham, Fujiwara no Mokou/Houraisan Kaguya, Kirisame Marisa/Alice Margatroid, N'tho 'Sraom & Nitori Kawashiro, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Usze 'Taham & Olympia Vale
Series: (blank) Prompts of Christmas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570867
Kudos: 11





	1. Preface

So this is being written alongside the remaining October 2019 prompts. I _hope_ to finish both of these projects by the end of the year. And even if it becomes 2020 and they’re not done, I plan to still keep working on them.

Anyway, since apparently 31 daily prompts was too big for me at my current state, I cut down my original plan to do 25 this month to just 12. However, I’ve decided to add another detail not present in Oneshotober. All 12 chapters of this will be part of the same overall story. While Oneshotober 2019 was themed around both Halo and Touhou Project, this time the story will be exclusively a crossover between the two. And no, the _other_ Halo x Touhou crossover I’m working on won’t have any relation to this. I’m not about to spoil any of the details there before it even gets started!

With that out of the way, here is the list of the prompts. Rather than finding an already existing list, this time I combined prompts from several different lists I found on Tumblr.

Dec. 14th - “Combo Breaker” (Snow Day, All Potential Outdoors Activities, Making Fires)

Dec. 15th - Sick

Dec. 16th - Decorating

Dec. 17th - Mistletoe

Dec. 18th - Visiting Friends and Family

Dec. 19th - Naughty and Nice

Dec. 20th - Holiday Specials

Dec. 21st - Holiday Baking

Dec. 22nd - Hot Cocoa and Eggnog

Dec. 23rd - Christmas Past

Dec. 24th - Secret Santa

Dec. 25th - Christmas Party


	2. Dec. 14th - Combo Breaker!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miranda Keyes makes an early morning visit, only to wonder why everyone is missing.

It was early in the morning on December 14th when Commander Miranda Keyes finally noticed something was wrong. The personnel of the joint-species branch of the rebuilt Crow’s Nest may have been smaller compared to the main base, but she usually didn’t go so long without bumping into  _ someone _ . Especially when it came to the six Gensokyo members.

However, just as Miranda was beginning to fear the worst, Cortana’s voice spoke over some nearby speakers.

“Commander Keyes,” Cortana greeted. “We weren’t expecting any visitors this early.”

“I wanted to inform Johnson of something.” she explained. “Where is he?” She paused, looking around. “Actually...where is  _ anyone _ ?”

“Out in the back.”

“Thanks.”

Heading to the very back of the building, Miranda was first greeted by the backs of the Master Chief and the Arbiter. They watched something go on outside while conversing lowly. As she approached, she started to make out what they were talking about.

“It is an unfair advantage.” the Arbiter noted. “However, I do believe each and every participant has something to aid them.”

“And you’ve already forgotten how  _ annoying _ flying targets are?” Chief asked dryly.

“No. Never.” Miranda could practically taste the bitterness of his tone in her mouth.

“What’s this about flying targets?” Miranda asked once she was right next to them.

“The magic folk.”

The alien pointed out the window, turning Miranda’s attention to the snowy battlefield outside. Which wasn’t an exaggeration. She was just in time to see Sergeant Avery Johnson get pelted by aerial snowballs dished out by the magician Marisa Kirisame. Marisa, as well as several others outside, released a cheer as he went down.

“A snowball fight…?” Miranda tilted her head curiously.

“The others noticed how much it snowed last night and decided to make a day out of it.” Chief explained.

“It was originally calmer…” Arbiter added. “The diplomat was showing ‘Taham how humans build people of snow while the kappa demonstrated the creation of angels to ‘Sraom, when Buck and Johnson fired the first shots of war at their backs. One by one, the others followed.”

Miranda sighed. “That’s how I would expect it to go.” She looked back at the ensuing chaos, only to furrow her eyebrows. “And what about Spark?”

“He’s watching everything for his own personal study.” Chief answered.

“From where?”

“Right over…” Chief began to point at one spot, only to stop. Wherever Guilty Spark had once been, he wasn’t anymore.

Before the three could begin to ponder what happened to him, though, Suika Ibuki’s warcry caught everyone’s attention. The remaining combatants in the snow war all simultaneously tensed as they saw the small oni hold a comically enormous snowball over her head. Usze ‘Taham put himself in front of Olympia Vale, to the surprise of no one. Nitori Kawashiro aimed her spontaneously constructed snowball gun directly at Suika, daring the oni to even try hitting her off the shoulders of N’tho ‘Sraom. Marisa and Cirno floated higher, hoping that Suika drank enough morning shots for her aim to be off. Mokou no Fujiwara and Reimu Hakurei, despite not taking part in the battle, still threw themselves behind an abandoned snow fort.

And that left Edward Buck open to being a prime target.

Suika grinned as she locked eyes with the ODST, before hurling the ball of mass destruction at him. He didn’t just get hit. He became buried under both the snow of the snowball, as well as the snow he fell into. A muffled yelp could be heard under the layers.

Right after, the glowing blue orb known as 343 Guilty Spark wobbled back into the air; now released from the chilly prison he had accidentally found himself in. Following him came Buck, who rubbed the part of his head that had connected with Spark.

“And this, kids,” Cortana said over the speakers. “Is why snowball fights are typically banned.”

Miranda, Chief, and Arbiter all stepped outside once it was clear everyone had calmed down. The sight of the commander caused most present to ease back into a professional air, despite also being covered in a snowy fleece. Chief went to Buck’s side to make sure he was okay while Arbiter checked his own two men. Miranda looked at Johnson, now finally peeling himself from the ground, and sighed.

Any comments she had were put on hold, as she noticed Vale grow concerned. The newest to the group was observing N’tho closely.

“N’tho, are you slowing down?” she asked.

N’tho turned his head towards her, allowing her to see his eyes growing heavy. “The temperature dropped faster than I expected.”

“You have yet to adjust your suit’s inner temperature?” Usze asked.

“I was not expecting to stay out long enough to warrant it.”

“Unacceptable,” the Arbiter said. “Come inside before you pass out, brother.”

Mokou stepped over, snapping her fingers so that a small flame appeared at their tips. “I’ll start burning up something if you need a heat source.”

“Don’t you dare go inside if you’re going to be a fire hazard!” Reimu quickly yelled.

“That is a nice idea, though.” Cortana replied. “Preparing delivery of a fireplace, now.”

The others lead N’tho, as well as the two other cold-blooded members, back inside. Miranda lingered for just another minute, taking the sight in. A year ago, all these people would have been at each other’s throats. Now they could all live under the same roof, looking out for one another. And hopefully, the rest of the galaxy could follow in their footsteps.

“Commander, from behind!” Cortana’s warning pulled Miranda out of her thoughts.

She turned, expecting a surprise attack from a surviving Covenant foe, only to feel a chill go down her spine. Literally. Cirno giggled in front of her as Miranda felt a lump of snow travel down her uniform.

“Happy snow day, Commander-lady!” the ice fairy waved.

Peace across the galaxy didn’t seem like that much of a pipe dream compared to turning a fairy into a professional soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see how long it takes until I fall behind this time. Jk but I do have one more final exam to take and my cat is getting ill, so I'm already at a rough start.  
> Anyway, I have yet to actually come across any canon confirmation on Sangheili being cold-blooded? Just people saying they are? Maybe I missed it somewhere. However, I'm putting it in because one fanfic with the Arbiter convinced me it'd be a cute sight to see a Sangheili get sleepy in the cold (even tho it's also kinda horrifying since they could die). Although I actually checked Sanghelios' Halopedia page and apparently the lowest average surface temperature is 23 degrees Fahrenheit, so if they are cold-blooded, that's gotta suck for them.


	3. Dec. 15th - Sick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miranda Keyes, Reimu Hakurei, and Nitori Kawashiro fall ill after yesterday's events.

“Oh come on!” Cirno huffed. “I heard from the Eientei doctor that ‘the cold making you sick’ thing was just a misconception!”

“Yeah, a misconception,” Mokou crossed her arms. “Because while it doesn’t directly make you sick, it  _ does _ weaken your body’s natural defenses.”

“Well, Nthro had it the worst yesterday!”

“But we spent two hours warming him up to the point he nearly overheated.”

Chief put a hand up to cut off the escalating argument. “Still, it was vastly inappropriate for you to shove  _ anything _ down a superior officer’s uniform. If that had been anyone else-”

“Hey, relax Chief,” Marisa cut in. “Cirno’s stupid-”

“Hey!”

“But she’s actually one of the smartest fairies you’ll ever meet. Consider it this way - friends are comfortable enough to mess around with each other. That’s just how Cirno sees most of Crow’s Nest.”

“I’m not saying she can’t be friendly with others.” Chief said. “But even with Commander Keyes, she has to show respect.”

“Right.” Marisa nodded. “But right now, wouldn’t you say we got bigger problems to solve?”

That’s when Guilty Spark flew into the common room the four were gathered in.

“How are they?” Mokou asked.

“Definitely unwell,” Spark responded. “At best, they will only need to rest for a few days. However, that is only if they commit to it.”

“I don’t know about Miranda…” Marisa sighed. “But telling Reimu to take a break? She always complains about never getting one, but also takes it upon herself to work unprompted anyway...and good luck having Nitori do  _ nothing _ for a day.”

“This isn’t good…” Cirno whined. “We really needed a kappa leading Christmas prep!”

“Well, crying about it won’t fix anything!” Johnson’s voice rang out as he entered the room. “Keyes already talked to me about Christmas yesterday. We’re free to do as we please, as long as we’re still battle-ready. And when it comes to Christmas spirit, no one needs guiding! We’ll deck these halls the old-fashioned way.”

“While it’s possible to decorate without Nitori’s inventions, as harder as it’ll be,” Mokou began. “Miranda and Reimu are kind of needed to keep people under control.”

“Not to mention keeping everything organized.” Marisa added.

“And who says a man can’t pretty up the house?” Johnson asked.

“Most wives, I’d imagine.” Cortana said, appearing at a nearby holotank.

Johnson grumbled. “Well, lucky me for being single.”

“So, are we gonna get to decorating or what?!” Cirno bleated.

“Alright, alright! Let’s go round up the others. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

* * *

Elsewhere in the base, Nitori was laying in her designated bunk in the room she shared with Mokou. She attempted to fidget with a small device she was currently building, only to find her arms feeling heavy. She was so physically weak and tired. She should rest, but she just couldn’t stop the inner energy that had to be put to use.

A soft knock at the door made her quickly set her work aside and burrow into the covers, as if she had never moved since Guilty Spark had checked on her.

She was unable to keep her voice clear as a scratchy “Come in.” came out.

Entering her room was N’tho. She could see his hand was clasped around something, although it was way too small for her to see what.

“Did I wake you?” he approached carefully. “I was not sure if you would fall into slumber so quickly.”

“It’s alright.” Nitori assured, with a cough following. “I was already awake.”

“That does not sound good.” N’tho stood over her and brought his hand to hover in front of her face. Opening his fingers, Nitori saw several wrapped objects that looked like candy. “The human construct mentioned these to me. ‘Cough drops’. Keep them at your bedside. If you require more later, notify the construct, and I will retrieve them.”

Nitori allowed the cough drops to fall into her hands. Before placing them where she was instructed to, she unwrapped one and popped it into her mouth. It had the flavor of a watermelon.

“Thansh.”

N’tho’s mandibles clasped together, which Nitori had come to interpret as smiling. “While I appreciate it, there is no need. You are highly valuable to this base, and we all wish for your health to improve.”

She nodded and laid back down. Although she did keep her head propped up, so that the lozenge being swirled around by her tongue would not fall down her throat.

The Sangheili began to leave, only to stop himself after hearing a small cry from Nitori.

He turned. “Something wrong?”

She moved the cough drop into her cheek to allow for clearer speech. “Not really. But Reimu and Miranda probably have sore throats too.”

He nodded. “I see. I will bring them remedies immediately.”

“That’s good!”

Upon his departure, Nitori returned to her tinkering as she sucked on the lozenge. By the time it had completely dissolved, her body had finally given into exhaustion. She rested peacefully while her almost completed “dreidel launcher” laid beside her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that scene between N'tho and Nitori is my new favorite scene I've ever written. It actually prompted me to reread sections of Hunters in the Dark, just to be sure I was getting his personality and speech patterns close to accuracy. And also did I just give myself the headcanon of Nitori/the kappa using inventing, or at least simple tinkering, as stimming? I think I just did.


	4. Dec. 16th - Decorating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone still healthy begin putting up Christmas decorations.

**Shatter.**

“Dammit, Buck!”

“Don’t yell at me! The hook slipped!”

“You know what - just climb down. You can’t be trusted on the ladder anymore.”

Buck made a loud, agitated sigh as he followed Vale’s command. He noticed Usze watching with a tilt of his head. Whether he was amused or simply curious at their exchange; well, Buck had yet to figure out Elite facial expressions beyond anger and surprise.

“Fine then,” Buck said when he reached the ground. “Then have _him_ cover the top branches. He’s tall enough to do it.”

“I fear I would only add to the carnage.” Usze glanced down at the different colored glass shards around their Christmas tree. “Were any of those valuable?”

“Money-wise? Not really. Sentimentally? Hopefully not.”

Vale added another UNSC ship ornament to the tree. “You’ll have to ask Johnson and the Commander. Most of these came from their inventory. Although I think the generic bulbs were from the base’s supply.”

Marisa then entered the common room with another box. Unlike the plastic containers Johnson brought in before, hers was wooden.

“Hey, look what I found!”

Vale turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “You mean look what you ‘borrowed’?”

“Are you just going to assume anything I have is stolen?”

“Your words, not mine.”

Marisa exhaled sharply. “Well, for your information, it was in storage, so it’s fair game. And I think it’s from Gensokyo.”

“It _is_ constructed differently from the others.” Usze noted.

“So, what is it? More ornaments?” Buck asked.

Marisa took the top off and grabbed the first thing her eyes laid on. In her hand now was a straw doll. This one in particular wore a red dress, although in an ancient style.

“Think I could get away with using this for the gift exchange?”

“Not if it belongs to somebody!” Vale snapped.

“Y’know…” Buck raised an eyebrow. “Put a hat on that, and it’d fit right in. Could let it sit inside the branches.”

Vale put a hand up. “Wait. Who does it belong to?”

Marisa examined the doll further, and found a white and red charm inside the doll’s gown. “Judging by the fire protection, I’d say Mokou. Well, I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“Still, I will head outside to ask her.” Usze offered, and left before Marisa could argue.

* * *

Outside, Cirno and Mokou made hanging up Christmas lights a hell of a lot easier with their ability to fly. Johnson and Arbiter, who originally expected to contribute manual work, found themselves just watching as the two girls strung them up with ease.

“Will we not just become a beacon for our enemies to find?” Arbiter asked as he studied each individual light.

“C’mon Arby, it’s the holiday season. Even during wartime, what kind of heartless bastard attacks on Christmas?”

The alien said nothing. He could understand the sentiment, but he knew the Covenant well. Although he did have to remind himself that currently, the Covenant was also gone. He really should be allowing himself to relax.

The Arbiter was then forced to acknowledge the arrival of another. Usze.

“Is the human, Mokou, too busy?” he asked from the door. His armor’s inner temperature still had to adjust before he could step out.

“She’s actually almost done,” Johnson answered. “What is it?”

“The magician found something of hers. They wish to know if they can add it to the tree.”

“Something of mine?” Mokou floated down to their level, leaving Cirno to continue on her own.

“A box of dolls.”

She almost looked like she was going to refuse, then paused. Considering for another moment, she soon replied, “As long as they don’t damage them too much.”

Usze nodded. “I will inform them to keep Buck away.”

“Why Buck specifically?” Johnson asked.

“Ornaments keep falling out of his grasp-”

Johnson quickly slid by Usze, yelling out, “Those better have not been my aunt’s, you sonuvabitch!”

Usze froze as he watched the sergeant in amazement. The Arbiter seemed to be in as much shock as him.

“What was that about?” Usze wondered out loud.

“I do not know…”

Mokou gazed through the door, although physically staying in place. “I can kind of figure based on his tone...but then, that’d be something for him to share.”

“Hm.” 

Perhaps there was more to their Sgt. Johnson than his quips and speeches. The Arbiter also shifted his view to Mokou. She shook her head, then returned to helping Cirno when she noticed the icy fairy tangled in cords. He pondered more on her earlier hesitation. There was definitely more to her as well.

The subject was then changed, thanks to Usze. “And where is the monitor?”

“With the Spartan and his construct. They will return with her package shortly.”

“Perhaps we should assist when they do?”

Arbiter looked up at Mokou and Cirno’s progress. “That is a good idea.”

* * *

The truck stopped at the entrance of the base, giving them a view of the completed lights. The driver took a moment to admire the work while Master Chief looked at the two Sangheili waiting for them.

“Did you do this?” he asked.

“We did offer,” Arbiter admitted. “But the fairy and fire user did not need the help.”

“What of you?” Usze added.

Cortana spoke before Chief could. “It’d be appreciated.”

“I can handle it.”

“At least let them hold the door.”

Guilty Spark popped up from the back of the truck. “I have to agree, Reclaimer. Your companion ordered a considerably sized decoration. One more is needed to carry it.”

“ _I can handle it._ ”

“Were it so easy.” Arbiter stepped forward. “I have hardly contributed today. Will you not accept my request to help with one task?”

Chief watched him.

“Oh, let him, Chief.” Cortana said to only him. “He _wants_ to help. Give him this, at least?”

“I’ve got the left side.” He stepped out of the truck. “You take the right.”

“And I will cover the door.” Usze added after the Arbiter’s nod.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say that the line "they were from Johnson and the Commander" implies that some of those ornaments were from their families. Which is both a nice and melancholic thought to have.  
> Also Buck breaking ornaments is based on my own experience trying to decorate this year.


	5. Dec. 17th - Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The obligatory mistletoe segment of every holiday story, brought to you by Johnson and Cirno.

“It looks nice.” Cortana appeared at the common room’s holotank, admiring the electric fireplace now next to the fully garnished Christmas tree alongside everyone else.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you.”

Marisa smirked as Johnson and Chief both stared at each other. She caught Mokou looking at the straw doll sitting in one of the branches. It was the only one they could pass off as “Christmas-y”; after the addition of a Santa hat, at least.

“Clever, huh?” the magician asked.

Mokou turned to her. “It’s like we’re constantly being watched.”

“That’s funny. It’s not supposed to be an elf.” She saw Mokou’s confusion, and elaborated. “Something Buck mentioned. Oh! Speaking of! Buck, you were talking about a special type of plant earlier?”

“A plant?” he paused to think. “You mean mistletoe?”

“Don’t get any ideas.” Chief quickly responded.

“What is ‘mistletoe’?” N’tho asked.

Vale sighed. “Another Christmas tradition. The idea is that people have to kiss when they’re caught underneath it.”

“Which is why we  _ are not _ doing it.” Chief said firmly, before leaving to report their work to Keyes.

There was silence, until Johnson smiled as he revealed something from his pocket. “Mistletoe?”

* * *

You’d think it dumb to let nearly all your potential victims know what you had and where it was located. But that was the genius of the play. Under the assumption that the mistletoe was hung over the fireplace, everyone aware would avoid that spot. However, they would not expect it to be moved right after.

And Johnson himself did not expect Cirno to do most of the work.

Well, that only came after the explanation that, just because she was standing next to the fireplace while the mistletoe was there, she did not need to kiss the fireplace. Nor any other inanimate object around the base.

With that out of the way, there was nothing stopping her from entrapping the others one by one with holiday pranking.

Naturally, the first place to put it was Vale’s door. She and Usze had the unfortunate habit of standing in the doorway for smaller discussions. Surprisingly, Usze did not seem  _ that _ averse to exploring human holiday customs. While Cirno suspected she finally had proof of their “secret relationship”, he later privately admitted to Vale he was trying to find a way to get into their celebrations.

From there, it would usually be a coin toss between N’tho and Nitori or N’tho or Mokou (maybe both?), but with Nitori sick, she didn’t want to accidentally harm N’tho. So she just had to find some way to corner the latter pairing.

Cirno decided to interpret “corner” literally and chased Mokou straight into the Sangheili’s arms. And then Mokou decided to cheat and shoot fire back at the fairy. The gall!

Now, with her mission exposed, it was only a matter of time until she was caught and her weapon confiscated. Whatever came next, she’d have to make it count.

Currently floating in the storage room, Cirno pondered all her options. Miranda and Reimu were out of the picture, for obvious reasons. Which was disappointing, because she’d love to get the former closer to Arbiter. Maybe even Marisa and Reimu? Although Alice Margatriod might kill her for that one…

How hilarious would it be if she turned the tables on Johnson, the man who supplied her in the first place? Everyone would get a kick out of that one. Though she had no clever idea as to who to target with him. Buck was a similar guy, but did similar equal funny? He always called Spark by creative nicknames. She could make a joke about pet names if she went that direction.

Or even the Master Chief himself. He was always so stiff and “professional”. Could she get away with declaring that, since both Cortana and himself were inside his helmet, they were required to kiss by mistletoe law?

Maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe she should leave it up to fate to decide? She could always default back to Vale and Usze, too.

“Ah, the fae,” a voice spoke behind her. “I was wondering why I detected someone in here. What are you doing?”

Cirno turned and found Guilty Spark had joined her. He locked on to the mistletoe she currently held out in front of her, now in between them.

“Oh, so you were the one to take it from the fireplace? I noticed the others become anxious when it went missing.” He tilted his body to the side. “Hm? What is it? You appear paler than normal.”

Cirno blushed.

“Crap.”

* * *

Following the misfire of the mistletoe prank, Cirno ended up hiding the plant somewhere around the base. She’d leave the universe to dish out any more misfortune.

Unfortunately for herself, she promptly forgot where she placed it.

Everyone feared for the day when it would be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Cirno's internal debate about who to target was based on my own internal debate of who else to target in this fic, until I just came to the conclusion that Guilty Spark and Cirno are both tiny floating blue things and that's enough for me.  
> And you can bet your ass that mistletoe is showing up again.


	6. Dec. 18th - Visiting Friends and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For one day, the group decides to take a vacation to Gensokyo. Who will they come across and how will they react?

Needing a break from paranoia, Marisa turned to keeping up with the state of Gensokyo. It’s through those check-ins that she learned of the premiere of a new play by Hata no Kokoro. The other Gensokyians were already on board with the idea of going, although it took a little convincing for the others. Sadly, Miranda’s duty of running Crow’s Nest was just too much to allow her one day of vacation, leaving her the only one staying behind.

On Dec. 20th, the group entered Gensokyo via the Hakurei Shrine. It was the first ever visit for the UNSC humans and Sangheili, so the six Gensokyians decided to show them some areas first.

Of course, the first stop was the Hakurei Shrine itself. Reimu had to shoo away the gathered youkai, and then launch the two that thought “human friend” was a synonym for “snack”. The commotion caught the attention of the Three Fairies of Light, who flew over from their tree.

“Reimu, you’re back?” Luna Child asked.

The shrine maiden nodded. “I’d ask if you stayed out of trouble while I was gone, but we all know the answer to that one.”

The three laughed nervously.

“You’d be surprised how calm it’s been.” Another voice sounded. Everyone looked up to see a blonde woman in a purple gown sitting in the shrine’s roof.

Marisa was the first to get over the shock and respond. “Yukari? Were you expecting us?”

“Well, I do know all that goes on with my border.”

“Is this Yukari Yakumo?” Cortana asked from Chief’s external speakers.

“And you’ve been speaking about me, too?” Yukari put a few fingers against her face. “Nothing but good things, I imagine?”

Reimu just glared at her. “Like hell.”

“So, Yukari, what’cha want?” Suika gave a friendlier response than the shrine maiden.

“Just to check up on things.” She leaned her body forward to get a closer look at the non-Gensokoyians. “Your friends aren’t going to cause any trouble around here, are they?”

“Oh please,” Mokou scoffed. “They can’t do any worse than what already happens here.”

Despite this, the Arbiter still stepped forwards. “My warriors and I have no desire to harm this world and its inhabitants.”

“Yeah, and I’ll make sure my soldiers behave.” Johnson agreed.

“Then I have nothing to fear.” Yukari straightened up. “Very well. You may continue through Gensokyo.”

With that, a purple tear in reality appeared next to the woman, in which many eyes could be seen from the other side. She stepped through. Once gone, the portal closed itself.

“Huh...neat trick…” Buck said in amazement.

“That’s the gap hag for you!” Sunny Milk said, reminding everyone else the three fairies were still present.

“Well, now that we have local approval,” Cortana spoke up. “Where are we heading first?”

“Ah, right…” Reimu thought for a moment. “The play’s this evening...and it’s already the afternoon...so we should probably stay close to the Human Village.”

“Why don’t we split up to cover more ground?” Vale suggested.

“Good idea.”

“Well, the Forest of Magic isn’t that far off. And I should check up on my house…” Marisa prepared her broom. “Anyone wanna see where I live? We might even bump into Alice.”

The others exchanged glances.

“I also got cool magic gear.”

Johnson and Buck both raised their hands.

Reimu shook her head. “Well, I’ll just stick to staying in the village. You should stick with me if nothing else interests you; for safety reasons.”

“That sounds good to me.” Chief replied.

“Oh, of course it would!” Cortana huffed. “Visiting a world of magic, and you choose to stick in a mundane town.”

Meanwhile, Usze looked over at Mokou. The latter was looking at a strange-looking forest in the distance. Vale noticed his gaze switch, then decided to approach the girl.

“Is that the Forest of Magic Marisa was talking about?”

“Nah. It’s the Bamboo Forest of the Lost.” Mokou shifted her weight. “It’s where I live.”

Usze came closer. “Would you care to show us?”

“If you really want…”

Just as N’tho noticed the three talking, he became aware of Nitori nearly pouncing on the Arbiter.

“Hey, this is actually the perfect opportunity to upgrade your armor!”

Arbiter examined the armor in question. “Upgrade…?”

“You said it was outdated, right? That’s not good for battle performance.”

“Yet it has kept me alive thus far.”

“Still! I technically could fix it up back at Crow’s Nest, but the supplies with the other kappa would be so much better. They might even have a few ideas to pitch!”

The Arbiter looked helplessly at N’tho, only to receive a shrug. He sighed.

“I will at least hear this out.”

“Does that mean you’ll be heading to Youkai Mountain?” Suika walked over. “Mind if I join?”

Nitori looked nervous. “Would that be a good idea…?”

“Relax! I’m not re-taking it or anything. Just stopping by - maybe having a few drinks too?”

“In that case, I don’t see why not…”

N’tho soon joined them, although came closer to speak lowly with the Arbiter. “Worry not, Arbiter; I will be there to support you.”

“I wouldn’t need it, but I still appreciate it. You _do_ have a way with kappa and oni.”

With their plans decided, the various groups went on their way. Noticing Cirno wasn’t among any of them, Reimu looked back at the shrine.

“Cirno? Are you staying?”

The ice fairy in question was eyeing the faces that the Three Fairies of Light were giving her. “I think I will…”

“Please don’t destroy my shrine.”

“A danmaku duel? May I stay to observe it?” Guilty Spark asked Reimu.

“Sure. Keep them in check if they go overboard.”

“I’ll see what I can do should the situation arise.” He then flew back to join the fairies.

As Reimu, Chief, and Cortana continued down the path to the Human Village, the first spells of a danmaku battle could be heard from behind.

* * *

**Bamboo Forest of the Lost - Fujiwara no Mokou, Usze ‘Taham, and Olympia Vale**

Splitting from Reimu and Chief at the entrance of the Human Village, Mokou made sure to give a wave to Keine before the trio continued on into the bamboo shoots. She didn’t intend to show off the exact place where she lived; however, Usze did show an interest in seeing her yakitori stand (and seeing yakitori altogether).

While the immortal made her two guests their meals, all three were unaware of the eyes watching them. These eyes belonged to a rabbit of Eientei, tasked with watching over the stand until the return of its owner. With Mokou back, the rabbit returned to deliver the news to her princess.

By the time Usze and Vale had finished their yakitori - Usze satisfied with the sample of human cuisine - the feeling of dread finally reached Mokou. Something was wrong here. She just couldn’t figure out what.

“Hey, Mokou…” Vale interrupted her thoughts. “Be honest. Has something been going on?”

“What do you mean?” Mokou stuck her hands into her pockets. “I’m fine.”

“Pardon my saying this,” Usze replied. “But even I, with limited knowledge of human social mannerisms, can see you have been bothered for some time.”

“Well, you misinterpreted.”

“As did Olympia Vale?”

“Yes, you both did.”

“I find that unlikely.”

Mokou puffed her cheeks out.

“Careful,” Vale warned. “That _is_ an expression Sangheili use.”

“And it also proves my point.” Usze stood up. “Sharing one’s troubles has rarely been given a positive light among my people, so I will respectfully not pry. But I know humans see things differently, and I will not hold Vale back if she questions you further.”

Mokou studied him closely, furrowed her brow, then sighed. “It’s just...an immortal thing. Happens all the time. I’ve found ways to distract myself.”

_Speaking of…_ Mokou thought to herself. _Maybe what’s bugging me here is the fact we’re so close to_ her _. Just how long has it been since we last saw each other? Do I even_ want _to?_

Vale got up as well. “If you really mean that...but still, talking things out is an underrated solution.”

“Says the diplomat.”

“Well, of course.”

With the mood beginning to brighten, Usze turned back the way they came. “Shall we return to the others, or is there more to see here?”

Mokou paused. “No...let’s head back now.”

_I don’t need to see her yet. I’ve already got perfectly good distractions here._

* * *

**Human Village - Reimu Hakurei, Cortana, and John-117**

This was the first time in a very long time that other human beings looked at him in fear and apprehension. Chief didn’t blame them. He was huge in his armor; of which also shielded his face from view.

It was still surreal, though. He had spent two decades fighting for the survival of humanity, and here was a population of them that would never come to realize it. And even if they were informed, they most likely would not care or understand.

Reimu assured the folks that he was indeed human underneath his suit, and he was far from being an enemy, but he could see that Gensokyo’s humans were wary of strangers and outsiders. Given the stories of incidents he’s been told, he also wouldn’t blame that attitude.

It didn’t help that all he was doing was shadowing Reimu. Without a word, he followed her to each place she stopped by. The Hieda residence to visit Hieda no Akyuu. The book renter Suzunaan to see Kosuzu Moori. The bar Geidontei to check up on Miyoi Okunoda. Even the Dragon Statue just to examine its current state.

Cortana finally grew tired of it. “Chief, maybe you should, I dunno, do something other than follow Reimu like a lost puppy?”

“What could I possibly do here?” Chief asked honestly. “The people here don’t trust me, and I’m not even familiar with the land to get any ideas.”

“While that’s a good point...have you forgotten that there’s two of us in here?”

Chief sighed. “What did you want to do?”

“I’m glad you asked! I think you should go back to Suzunaan. There might be some volumes on magic.”

“Cortana, we have people who do magic back at base.”

“Well, I want to study even more of it!”

“Fine.” Chief tapped Reimu’s shoulder. She turned. “Cortana wants to head back to Suzunaan. Mind if I go?”

“Sure! I’ve still got a few stops, and then I’ll come back for you.” Surprisingly, she smiled. “Have fun!”

Chief nodded, then backtracked to the book rental. Luckily, Kosuzu was one of the few humans of the village who did not fear him. After quickly explaining the concept of Cortana and her interest in the book collection, the light redhead nodded with glee as she brought out books.

Books that Chief had zero understanding of.

“I have to warn you,” Kosuzu began. “These are demon books; books written by youkai. They might cause a little trouble, depending on the content. Oh yeah, and you might need my help to decipher them.”

Cortana sounded thoughtful as she said, “Mm...maybe at first, but don’t underestimate artificial intelligence. I might just crack the code in these books by the end of the day.”

“Oh really? How impressive! In that case, let’s get started!”

Chief internally groaned as he realized how the rest of the afternoon would go for him.

* * *

**Youkai Mountain - Suika Ibuki, Nitori Kawashiro, N’tho ‘Sraom, and Thel ‘Vadam**

_“You two just stay with Nitori for a few minutes, ‘kay? I got someone to look for…”_

The Arbiter and N’tho were starting to regret allowing Suika to leave them. She assured them it wouldn’t be for so long, but with the company they had, it felt like forever.

“Let me get this straight - everyone else has invisibility that’s unlimited, but your armor’s on a timer?” One of the kappa, Shizue, tilted her head. “Did they _want_ you to die?!”

N’tho held his breath as he watched his superior stiffen. The Arbiter himself drew a sharp breath, forcing down an ache in his chest. Luckily, Nitori was more informed than her fellows, and quickly changed the subject.

“Well, I didn’t bring him here to hear complaints. He said he’d hear out any suggestions to his armor before I do upgrades.”

“The very idea of an upgrade is still not set in stone.” Arbiter pointed out, now mentally recovered.

A kappa who earlier introduced herself as Izumi raised her hand. “What’s stopping you? You might as well keep your systems up to date, at least…”

He paused again. “It’s…” Damn, that was a good point. “It has just been tradition.”

“A _Covenant_ tradition.” N’tho corrected. “Arbiter, you do not need to uphold sentiments that no longer exist.”

He almost hated how right N’tho was about that. Because that would imply that even after learning the truth of the galaxy, of being betrayed, of ending the empire he once was devoted to; after all this time, he was still subconsciously shackled to it. How could he reunite his people under a new banner if he could not get the past out of his head and hearts?

Well, there was one way…

“So, what improvements do you ladies have in mind?”

Each and every kappa lit up at this acceptance. One named Nagisa leaped up only a beat after.

“Have you thought about built-in lasers?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer than I expected, and still more to go. The next prompt is actually completely dedicated to the Forest of Magic; although the Cirno and Guilty Spark scene with the Three Fairies of Light isn't going to be shown (sorry). I actually got the 19th finished right now and will post it right after. Still have to do the 20th and 21st...


	7. Dec. 19th - Naughty and Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Marisa has Johnson and Buck over at her house, an unexpected visitor arrives (including a completely expected one).

**Forest of Magic - Edward Buck, Avery Johnson, and Marisa Kirisame**

Halfway into showing off her collection of “borrowed” items to Johnson and Buck, Marisa soon heard a knock at her door. She almost wanted to sigh, but realized just how much she missed the person she was expecting to be on the other side.

**Knock knock.**

“Alright, alright!” Marisa pulled herself away from her display, opening the door. “Alice, I’m surprised it took-”

Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu stepped inside the house. “Ah, Miss Marisa Kirisame. I’ve been waiting for your return.”

“Oh shit.”

“And how convenient that it lined up with my work break.”

“ _ Oh shit. _ ”

Buck peeked his head closer to the conversation. “Something wrong?”

“And I see Edward Buck and Avery Johnson of the UNSC are with you. How perfect.”

“Excuse me?” Johnson bit back a cough. “I thought Gensokoyians were ill-informed on the Outside World?”

Marisa sighed. “This is different.  _ She’s _ one of the yama - one of the highest ranking, in fact.”

Buck looked confused. “I...don’t understand what that means.”

“I’m sure Marisa and the others have mentioned the various afterlifes, correct?” The two men nodded. “Well, the yama are the ones who decide which one you end up in; or if you even pass on to the afterlife at all. These judgements are based on the actions you’ve accumulated over your mortal lifetime.” Eiki turned her gaze back to Marisa. “Which is exactly why I’ve sought you out.”

She groaned. “Come on, Miss Enma...it’s nearly  _ Christmas _ !”

“Quite. You understand that the concept of guilty and innocent still stands in that holiday?”

“You mean ‘naughty and nice’?” Johnson quirked an eyebrow.

“That is another way to put it, yes. And all three of you have leaned to the former.”

“I’m sorry?! Since when has saving the galaxy -  _ three times _ \- been considered ‘naughty’?”

“Besides her obvious thievery-”

“ _ Borrowing _ .” Marisa interjected.

Eiki turned to Buck and Johnson. “There is also your pranks and fooling around. Not to mention your disrespect and vulgarity.”

“She sure knows a lot about us…” Buck leaned back with a cringe.

“Well of course. If I am to one day judge your immortal soul, it stands to reason that I would hold the knowledge of all you have done. All of it.” Eiki narrowed her eyes. “And since you are now aware of this, perhaps it will persuade you to improve your conduct in the future.”

“Huh,” Marisa tilted her head. “That was a quick rant.”

“While it may surprise you, Marisa Kirisame, I do have other things to do besides judge the dead and lecture the living. You are aware of Hata no Kokoro’s show tonight?”

“You’re going to be there?”

“Given how stressful post-war judging is, I decided to treat myself for once.”

Marisa wasn’t convinced. “ _ Really _ ?”

“I was mandated by my superiors to do so.”

“Now that’s believable.”

Eiki then turned to make her leave, but not before looking over her shoulder. “Oh, by the way, I should also warn you…”

“About hell?”

“Technically. She is on her way, after all.”

Eiki left, leaving the three confused. Marisa, though, quickly figured it out.

“Oh fuck-”

“MARISA!”

Before the magician could close the front door, a blonde girl in a blue dress tackled her. This left both Johnson and Buck in total shock.

“Ah, Alice!” Marisa gasped. “I was starting to wonder when you’d show up.”

However, Alice merely scowled. “And  _ I _ was wondering when you’d visit!”

“Oh, so this is your girlfriend?” Buck smirked.

Marisa gently shoved Alice off her before getting up. “ _ No _ .”

Alice put her hand on her hip with a huff. “Why the hell would I be  _ her _ girlfriend? What a relationship that’d be - always going off without even saying goodbye, and never sending messages to tell me how she’s doing!”

“Oh yeah,” Johnson nodded. “They’re dating.”

“We are  _ not _ !” Marisa stomped furiously.

“ _ Right _ , moving on.” Buck turned to Alice. “Alice Margatroid, right? You going to the play people keep talking about?”

“Well of course. It’s a Hata no Kokoro original, after all.”

“Hata no Kokoro…” Johnson repeated. “Who is she? Everyone keeps mentioning that name like she’s a big deal.”

“She’s a youkai, specifically a menreiki.” Marisa explained. She noticed the men stare back at her blankly. “Think, like...a group of masks come to life. She writes, directs, and performs in plays. And they’re all really good, too.”

Alice leaned in to whisper. “Rumor has it, your descriptions of the ‘Christmas’ holiday inspired her...it might just be the topic of this next performance.”

“A Christmas play? The timing does fit…” Johnson said.

“Speaking of, I should be on my way.” Alice started to leave. “You should, too, if you want to make it on time.”

“She’s right, it’s getting late…” Buck said, checking the sky.

“Oh right, and you two can’t fly…” Marisa added.

“Double time, then!” Johnson declared, already booking it out the door.

Alice smiled as the three ran past her, although her sights were exclusively on her fellow magician.

_ I’ve missed you, you dork. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Alice might be a little OOC in this? I've never had to write her before and rn I'm just going off fanon interpretation. And also shipping interpretation...hope it's not too noticeable that I wrote this while sleepy (and revised it while sleepy). I'm gonna go sleep before continuing so the next two chapters can be understandable...


	8. Dec. 20th - Holiday Specials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The visitors from Crow's Nest finally get to witness Hata no Kokoro's new play.

As the air grew colder and the sky darker, each group spread across Gensokyo made their way to the Human Village. With only a few minutes left until seating in the theater would begin, everyone was gathered outside in the streets. It was not just the visitors from Crow’s Nest, though. This included many familiar Gensokyo faces as well.

Mokou scowled as she spotted two of these faces. Kaguya Houraisan and Eirin Yagokoro.

However, she also couldn’t help herself. “Well, if it ain’t a Moon Bitch, out in the wild!” Kaguya, Eirin, and all of Mokou’s group turned their heads. “But wait, don’t they usually confine themselves in their palaces?”

Kaguya, despite the insulting tone directed at her, smiled. “Hey, ever since you stopped dueling me, I’ve had to resort to other means of entertainment!”

“Eh, so all I had to do to get to you was ignore you? If only I’d known that centuries ago!”

This made Kaguya’s face fall. “What? No! Don’t you dare!”

Those not from Gensokyo looked confused. Marisa sighed at this. “One of the worst aspects of immortality...centuries of sexual tension.”

Mokou turned around. “ _ Sexual _ tension?! I do not feel for her like  _ that _ !”

Kaguya giggled. “So you admit you feel for me?”

“You know  _ exactly _ what I meant!” Mokou growled.

“Damn, are  _ all _ relationships here full of denial?” Johnson asked.

“Miss Fujiwara,” Eirin stepped in between her princess and Mokou. “I hope you realize that now is not the time for this.”

“Oh come now, Eirin!” Kaguya whined. “It’s been months since we’ve last seen each other!”

Mokou felt a hand on her shoulder, belonging to N’tho. “Your ‘friend’ only seeks to upset you.”

“I know that…” Mokou sighed, lowering her voice and leaning in closer so the others couldn’t hear. “It’s...really, kind of our thing. We can afford lashing out at each other…”

“Even so, you can enjoy other things, too…”

That was when the announcement of the theater doors opening rang out. The crowd moved as people entered. Mokou watched people go by.

“Yeah, you’re right about that…”

She strolled past Kaguya and Eirin, ignoring the ex-princess’s disappointed look at being brushed aside. The others followed into the building.

* * *

_ Japan. Edo period; before the Youkai Expansion Project. Gensokyo. Perhaps the last place in this world where youkai dominance remains. _

__ _ As the rise of humanity and advancement begins, more and more youkai find themselves in the rapidly developing haven. This is tiresome news for the shrine maidens and youkai hunters. “Gensokyo” - as they call it - has always been incredibly haunted. But what will they do when the influx of population grows too much for even them to combat? _

__ _ They could be facing an army very soon. _

__ _ With the prospect of local human extinction in the back of their heads, the prominent figures of the youkai-fighting force gathered in secret to discuss the matter. _

__ _ “No more can we be oppressed!” an upstart declared. “We should call upon our neighbors and make the first strike!” _

__ _ “And risk retaliation?!” the oldest veteran asked. _

__ _ “We will be too strong for them. We’ll wipe them out quickly and efficiently.” _

__ _ A monk shook his head. “What we’ll do is inspire other youkai to take action as revenge.” _

__ _ “He does have a point, though,” the shrine maiden of a since forgotten sect said. “We have always been outnumbered. Soon, we may become outmatched as well. The youkai may take their frustrations out on us…” _

__ _ “You forget…” the head of the Hakurei Shrine spoke. “Just how tied youkai existence is to human existence. Why do you think this epidemic of youkai disappearing and weakening began? Humans in other places are beginning to lose their fear.” She paused. “No. Not just lose their fear. Some have completely forgotten they exist. They flock to this land because we cannot simply forget them. We hold that power over them.” _

__ _ Another veteran spoke up. “That does not change the fact they may grow tyrannical. And in that case, it is likely the rest of the world would hold no sympathy to our situation. Either they wouldn’t believe us, or would sacrifice our people so that theirs can live freely.” _

__ _ “If that is your concern, then we must dispel the idea from their heads before they realize it. Challenging them in combat, though, is not the answer. It would only tempt them further.” _

__ _ “Are you suggesting a peaceful route, then?” a younger Hakurei shrine maiden asked. _

__ _ “It  _ is  _ the opposite of combat…” the monk murmured. _

__ _ “Would it even work?” the upstart asked. “Their goal in life is to torment us. Would peace not go against that?” _

__ _ “It does not need to be a complete peace.” the head Hakurei shrine maiden explained. “Just enough to prevent the worst case scenarios.” _

__ _ “What could we possibly do to convince them of that?” _

__ _ It was a question that the youkai hunters knew an answer to. However, the implications of  _ that _ put them all in an uneasy silence. After all… _

__ _ Sacrifices always appeased the higher powers. _

__ _ Youkai and similar creatures demanded regular tributes from humans all the time. It had yet to be done in Gensokyo simply because the human opposition was too great. And a vow by an earlier Hakurei shrine maiden, one made by every other since, was to prevent such a sacrificial outcome. _

__ _ “There must be a better way to get on a youkai’s good side than feeding them your neighbors…” one hunter broke the silence. _

__ _ “Perhaps we should take a different approach in our brainstorming.” the head Hakurei maiden said. “For now, let’s ignore who we’re trying to appeal to, and instead focus solely on the art itself. What would be done if the target was another human?” _

__ _ The monk answered first. “It depends on the human...but a tribute would usually still be made.” _

__ _ “And you think even humans are satisfied with just one tribute?” another hunter asked grimly. _

__ _ “Greed and pride  _ are _ dangerous sins…” the monk nodded in agreement. _

__ _ Another shrine maiden looked to him sympathetically. “It is still a better solution than sacrifice.” _

__ _ “The approach is a good idea, though.” The youngest shrine maiden from the Hakurei Shrine said. “If the youkai knew  _ why _ we would be giving them tribute, they might use it to manipulate us into giving them more. Plus, if the goal is to keep the idea of tyranny out of their heads, would it not be counterproductive to accidentally inform them of the possibility in the first place?” _

__ _ “A good point.” Her elder nodded. “Whatever we do, we cannot voice our concerns to the youkai. They’d have a field day with it.” _

__ _ “If I may suggest…” the girl continued. “Your idea of thinking of the youkai as other humans earlier...I know it was just to focus on getting an idea, but I believe it might just be the solution…” _

__ _ “What? Explain.” _

__ _ “Well, when a new villager arrives, do we not welcome them and celebrate? It makes them feel good and satisfied, correct?” _

__ _ “Don’t tell me…” a hunter muttered. _

__ _ “If we did the same for the new youkai...they may feel too happy with our good will to harm us very much.” _

__ _ Everyone paused to ponder the idea. The upstart from earlier turned to the monk. _

__ _ “So, what was your plan for tributes…?” _

__ _ “Really?” he sighed back. “The idea of being hospitable to youkai is strange...not to mention a little abhorrent. But what do we have to lose in that scenario? A night’s worth of food? Trinkets used as gifts? If it doesn’t work, then it says more about the youkai than it does about us.” _

__ _ The head Hakurei maiden tilted her head in thought. “That is a good point...and there are plenty of youkai who uphold themselves and their kin to standards. I believe we should try it. Any other objections?” _

__ _ No one else spoke up. _

__ _ “Then inform the villagers. But do not let them know of our worries. Not only will it incite fear, but they may accidentally spill the secret to the youkai…” _

__ _ Of course, the human villagers initially responded to the order with outrage. Youkai terrorized them daily and threatened their lives. Why would they throw any celebration for them? However, the appearance of the highly respected Hakurei shrine maidens ended most objections. If they of all people were backing this idea, then it could not be as bad as they thought. _

__ _ A week later, and the night of allowing the youkai to run free around the village began. In front of every house were material gifts and a contribution to the feast. The humans were still too wary to approach the youkai, but the Hakurei shrine maidens were there to do most of the talking. _

__ _ “Consider this gesture to show we wish to coexist with you better than the humans you lived near before.” the head Hakurei shrine maiden said. “We have our different roles in this world, but that does not mean we always have to go against each other.” _

__ _ It was as strange to the youkai as it was to the humans. The former originally were convinced this was all a trap. But as the casual party drew to a peaceful conclusion, the youkai were convinced of the humans’ good faith. _

__ _ To the relief of the youkai hunters, the terror of the youkai went down. There were no conquests as feared. Whether the youkai would have actually considered the prospect with or without the celebration was unknown. However, another occurrence showed that the humans’ actions made a considerable change to Gensokyo. _

__ _ On another night not long after, without warning, the youkai surrounded the Human Village with a wall of gifts. It was a quick endeavor, and none stayed out in the open to watch. The humans did feel eyes on them, though, as they approached the tribute and took their share. _

__ _ This was the first glimpse into the true beauty of Gensokyo, and the first sign of where its future lay. Regardless of the nature of youkai and their relationship towards humanity, it was proven that they could coexist alongside each other and share a peaceful moment. _

* * *

None of them had spoken since the play had ended. The closest were quiet goodbyes to the people they knew, and quick praise to Hata no Kokoro for her retelling of an obscure moment in Gensokyo history. The visitors from Crow’s Nest, though, were in complete silence as they exited the Human Village and traveled down the path back to the Hakurei Shrine.

They couldn’t bring themselves to speak just yet. They each needed their own time to process. It was not just the skillful performance arts that were new to all but six of them. It was the entire story and message conveyed that hit too close to home. The parallels were just...too uncanny to be ignored.

The Arbiter contemplated the most; although he did not voice much, even after the silence had been broken.

_ Even if it was revealed to be a lie that the events occurred…  _ he thought.  _ I feel like there is something I must do. _ He would break his silence when they returned home.

He and Commander Keyes had something to discuss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a little bit of a hard time figuring out what the play should've been, but I do like how it ties into and even causes the last mini-arc of this challenge. I will say that the segment retelling the events was a flashback - what the in-story audience viewed was, of course, displayed differently.   
> I hope this hasn't come across as rushed or under-edited though. I just haven't slept in some time.


	9. Dec. 21st - Holiday Baking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the final portion of Christmas prep, the Crow's Nest crew split up to complete different forms of Holiday culinary.

It was now the morning of Christmas Eve. On this day, the pace inside the base heightened. There was a lot to get done before that night and the next day.

That night they would hold a small party for themselves. It would mainly be a dinner. However, they had been preparing for a little tradition known as Secret Santa. Each person had drawn the name of another and had to get a gift for that person. It made things easier for everyone’s pockets, as most of them couldn’t afford to get every last person a gift.

Then, on Christmas Day, several important human and Sangheili figures were invited for a holiday party at the base. It had been the Arbiter’s idea, following the day they had gone to see the play in Gensokyo. He felt that it would improve relations. Especially since among the guest list were Avu Med ‘Telcam and Jul ‘Mdama. Those two were extremely out-spoken against an alliance with the humans, and he hoped sharing this holiday with them would lighten their attitudes a bit.

With all decorations put out and pretty much every present under the tree, all that was left was to prepare the food and drink for the holiday. While many of the members of the base were not chefs in the slightest, Cortana was able to split them up into jobs that they could complete.

Of course, Nitori was indispensable in majority of the cooking. While not a culinary master, her inventing brought forth useful tools in making the job easier. To the surprise of all, Johnson also revealed a secret talent for cooking as well.

“Whatever,” he had grumbled at some of the snickers. “Do you want to eat rations tonight, or do you want to have a  _ real _ Christmas dinner?” Those who laughed quickly quieted themselves. “Yeah, thought so.”

Mokou and Reimu were also put on as his assistants, as they also had cooking experience. However, just like in battle, it was Johnson to lead the charge.

Guilty Spark had originally started studying their work. But his constant questions had annoyed the four to the point they threw him out of the kitchen. In Reimu’s case, that was  _ literally _ throwing him out.

“Go bug someone else! You’ll make us burn something!” she shouted at him.

So, Spark followed the order. He moved to the dining room first, as it was the closest. Inside were two different groups: the builders of the gingerbread houses and the bakers of cookies.

He flew over to the cookie area first, as he was curious how they were faring without access to the kitchen. Like him, they would have gotten in the way, so they had to do most of their work out here.

“I know the Master Chef title is a joke…” Cortana, the guide of this group, began. “But Chief, I think you should seriously considering adopting it.”

“Cortana. All I’m doing is rolling out dough.”

“And look how well you’re doing it!”

“Reclaimer, I see you have removed your armor for this task.” Spark commented as he arrived at the table.

“You think I’d use advanced military gear -  _ expensive _ advanced military gear - while baking cookies?” He deadpanned.

“It was merely an observation.”

“And what did we say about stating those excessively?”

“Hey, stop bickering with the AI and keep rolling.” Marisa scolded from the other side of the table. “I finished cutting out all these pieces…”

“And what task are you completing, magician?” Spark asked, flying closer to get a look.

In front of Marisa were a few trays, some of which had specially cut pieces of cookie dough lined up on them. These pieces were put into shapes symbolizing Christmas: snowflakes, snowmen, snow angels, reindeer, and trees.

“Shaping these bad boys up.” she said, gesturing to the six cookie cutters next to the cookie trays. “Nitori should be coming to put what we got done already in the oven...it’s just that, y’know, there’s so many things to cook in there.”

“Ah yes, I was just in there. Although, forgive me if I’m wrong, but do we not have a user of fire among us?”

“Like hell Mokou’s going to set a fire in here!” Cortana shouted. “I don’t care how faster it would make things...even if it didn’t get out of control, the smoke detectors are  _ sensitive _ !”

“I see…is that all you’re required to do?”

Marisa waved a hand. “Nah, this is just half of it. When they’re done baking, the Chief and I are gonna put frosting and sprinkles on them.”

“Still a simple task…”

“Yeah. You should see what those suckers over there have to deal with…”

Guilty Spark turned to stare at the gingerbread house group. It was compiled of Vale, Cirno, the Arbiter, N’tho, and Usze. The largest group; and according to Marisa, the one with the toughest job.

His curiosity piqued, Spark flew over to get a closer look. Vale was currently helping Usze with precise white paste placement on a simple human-modeled house. Vale would squeeze the substance from a vaguely-shaped bag object while Usze held the different gingerbread walls together. At another part of the table, N’tho and the Arbiter used the same white paste to stick various candies to a gingerbread house that matched the description of a Sangheili keep. And next to them, Cirno showered a recreation of the very building they were in with a shaker. It created the effect of snow...although the fairy was nearly burying the tiny base in it.

“Hmm…” Guilty Spark hummed, unsure of how to respond to Cirno’s actions.

However, this caused the Arbiter to look up at him. Noticing the AI’s attention was set on something, the alien turned...and snatched the shaker from Cirno.

“I believe you have added enough.”

Cirno looked up and pouted. He sighed.

“Do not give me that look. We need to save this for Vale and Usze. Not to mention leave our creations  _ visible _ .”

The fairy crossed her arms.

“...will you be satisfied with doing the snow for Vale and Usze’s house?”

She lit up and nodded. The Arbiter shook his head, though still clasped his mandibles in faint amusement.

“And females say we’re only good for the training portion of a child’s life…” N’tho jested.

Cirno tilted her head. “Aren’t I older than you?”

“Really? I can never tell…”

“I see you’ve gotten better at replicating human sarcasm.” Guilty Spark said at last.

“Sarcasm…” Cirno asked. It soon clicked. “Hey, wait, what’s  _ that _ supposed to mean!”

The two Sangheili laughed at her expression. Despite how furious the fairy tried to make herself look, she was still working with the face of a child.

Spark looked around. “So if you are building these houses...where are Edward Buck and Suika Ibuki?”

Arbiter and N’tho paused, unsure of the answer themselves. Vale could be heard huffing.

“Them? No clue. Not sure if Cortana gave them a job, or if they ditched us…”

“It is still concerning not knowing where they are…” Usze added.

“I can attempt to locate them, if you wish.” Spark offered.

“Don’t bother.” Vale said. “I don’t think they’re even in the base anymore.”

“Well, is there still some way I can be of assistance?”

“Yeah…” Vale turned to glare at Cirno, who had started to eat their candy supply. Again. “Keep an eye on her.”

Spark nodded happily, finally finding a job for himself that he could complete without limbs. The others went back to work, only to stop when they heard Cirno’s yelp.

“...Oh my god, Spark, I didn’t mean  _ literally _ !”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes a headcanon that Arby has a soft spot for children, and you can't take that away from me.  
> Okay so I still have to finish 4 more prompts of this. I'm hoping to get as much done today and release it all at once, but I might end up having to put off the last one or two in case of burnout...I was originally saving this for later so I could post it alongside more parts, but I might as well do it now since it's literally Christmas day.


	10. Dec. 22nd - Hot Cocoa and Eggnog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buck and Suika finally return with their contribution to Christmas dinner.

Later that day, when most of the cooking and baking had been completed, Buck and Suika had finally turned up. Apparently, it was Cortana who sent them to get alcohol for eggnog. With their return, the final step of prep could be done.

This final task, though, was left up to Suika, Mokou, Johnson, and Cortana. Everyone else waited patiently in the common room.

“What is...eggnog?” Usze asked Vale.

“It’s a type of drink with the main ingredient being-” However, Vale suddenly stopped herself.

Usze tilted his head. “Being what?”

“Ah…”

“Oh, come on Vale!” Cirno piped up. “It’s literally in the name! Eggs!”

The three Sangheili froze and cringed. Vale did as well due to second-hand embarrassment.

N’tho was the first to ask. “You make it...with eggs?”

“Not with fertilized ones.” Vale quickly reassured them.

“I don’t get it? Why is that a bad thing?” Marisa asked.

“Marisa...do you know where baby Sangheili come from?”

“Er, not really...but since they’ve been pretty reptilian so far, I’m guessing...oh shit.”

“Mhm.”

Distressed at the revelation, Nitori pat N’tho on the leg. “We won’t eat your babies!”

“Obviously.” Arbiter said, a little humorously. “You think a mother Sangheili would let you live long enough to do so?”

“You can skip the eggnog if it really makes you uncomfortable.” Reimu said. “It’s the alcoholic one of the two anyway.”

“I believe we will do just that…”

After another few minutes, the last four members of the group returned with the two different sets of holiday drinks. Just as they said, the Sangheili quickly chose the hot chocolate over the eggnog. Nitori, Cirno, and Vale followed suit.

As Chief grabbed his own mug of hot cocoa, Cortana popped up on the holotank next to him. “Really? Not going to try eggnog this year?”

“Not interested.”

“You never are…”

Everyone else picked glasses of eggnog, of which there was a larger stash of. Given the alcoholic properties, and the fact they had an oni with them, that really wasn’t a surprise.

Cirno was quick to burn her tongue, prompting Arbiter to pause in pouring his drink into the special bottles made for Sangheili consumption.

“Will that cause you to melt?”

Cirno shook her head. “But it still hurt!”

“Why not cool it with your ability?”

Her face lit up. “Oh! That’s right!”

“Just not too-”

Her mug became encased in ice.

“-much.”

Cirno stared at her frozen mug. The Arbiter stared at both her and the block of ice. They were both silent for a moment.

Then, she started licking at the ice, and the Arbiter started to realize that a frozen drink was the best thing for her anyway.

Meanwhile, most of those drinking eggnog quickly made it a challenge to see who could last the longest without getting drunk. Of course, Suika was technically not part of this competition, given her unfair advantage of being an oni.

It was close, but Reimu was the first to break. This was followed shortly by Buck. 

“Feeling dizzy yet, Johnson?” Marisa teased as she downed her latest glass.

Johnson slammed his own glass down. “‘Ya wish! I can do this all night…”

“Please don’t do this all night…” Cortana begged from the background.

“Damn, any more shots, and we might have to make another round…” Suika muttered.

“Oh no we’re not! We still have things to do tonight, and we’ve already got two people passed out and one MIA…”

“MIA?” Chief looked around, doing a headcount. “Mokou...where did Fujiwara go?”

“Oh, Mokou?” Suika paused to think for a moment. “I don’t know, actually...I know I saw her take a glass of eggnog, but I don’t think she took part in the competition…”

“Did no one see her leave?” N’tho asked as he walked over, having overheard the conversation.

“If Reimu and Buck did, well…” Suika glanced at their two unconscious friends. “They can’t exactly tell us right now.”

“She couldn’t have gotten far.” Cortana said. “I’ll look into the security systems...she’s pretty easy to scan for.”

The other three nodded, and Cortana disappeared. N’tho turned his head back to their Christmas tree, and caught a glance of the doll he heard belonged to Mokou.

_ The closer this holiday drew, the further her mood darkened. Should we have kept a closer eye on those signs? _

He silently prayed for her safe return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got this and 23rd done kinda fast, and it'll probably be hours or a day before I get 24th and 25th done. I already dropped 21st, but I might as well put these up now while I have the time. Hope it doesn't come across as spam.


	11. Dec. 23rd - Christmas Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drinking eggnog alone, Fujiwara no Mokou recalls another moment that occurred during this time of year.

Outside the base, Fujiwara no Mokou watched the snow fall as she leaned her back against a wall and held onto her near empty glass of eggnog. It was cold enough that she could see her breath with every exhale, although it did not bother the girl in the slightest.

_ What’s wrong with me? _ She thought to herself.  _ I didn’t get so depressed the previous years… _

She paused.  _ Then again, it was always Kaguya’s parties I was trying to trash. _

She took another drink at the thought, as well as the image of the moon princess’s face.

_ I hate her guts. I hate her attitude and everything she does. But dammit, without that hatred, there’s not much left to distract me from… _

__ She allowed her body to slowly slide down, until she was sitting in the snow with her eyes now closed.

_ The past. _

* * *

_ “This is awful...how am I supposed to get Sen anything now?!” _

__ _ Mokou opened her eyes, stirred from her nap. She rubbed them as the sound of footsteps and a worried, young voice passed her by. _

__ _ “She’ll be so disappointed...I don’t want that for her...I promised myself!” _

__ _ Sighing, Mokou stood up. Seemed like another kid was about to get themselves lost in the forest. The amount of youkai in the land was decreasing recently...but that didn’t eliminate the threat of death by exposure. She’ll have to make the girl turn back. _

__ _ Heading to the source of the voice, Mokou stumbled upon footsteps smaller than her own. Judging by the size, and the voice from earlier, this wasn’t that little of a kid. Not a teenager, either. At least over 10 years old? _

__ _ She continued onward, until she could hear the child again. Rather than talking to herself, she was whimpering. Mokou took her hands out of her pockets, just in case she’d need to use them against anyone. _

__ _ “What’s with the crying?” _

__ _ As Mokou stepped into the clearing, she spotted the little girl in the middle. The battered clothes and dirty skin already said much about her. _

__ _ “Who…” the girl asked as she turned around. She wiped tears from her eyes, smearing more dirt across it. “Who are you?” _

__ _ “Not really anyone important.” Mokou answered honestly. “And I asked first. You’re going to draw something other than myself with that whining.” _

__ _ The girl looked down. “Sorry…” She bit her lip. “It’s just…” _

__ _ The girl continued to hesitate, causing Mokou to sigh. She stepped closer and sat across from the girl. _

__ _ “You mentioned a Sen as you walked past me. Who is that?” _

__ _ “Sen…” A sniffle. “She’s my little sister...only 4 years old. Her birthday is tomorrow, and...none of us can afford  _ anything _!” She hit a fist against the ground. “Not since uncle…” _

__ _ Mokou perked her head. “Not since he…?” _

__ _ “We were already poor.” the girl explained. “Our family’s farm failed in the famine nine years ago, when I was too young to remember it…” She looked to the side. “Last year, my grandfather revealed he struck riches some time ago, and had been saving it as inheritance. After he died, it was supposed to be evenly distributed, but…” _

__ _ The girl didn’t need to say the rest. Mokou could deduce the familial betrayal by now. _

__ _ “So...I’m guessing you’re trying to keep your sister’s spirits high?” Mokou pressed on. _

__ _ “Yeah...I didn’t get very many presents growing up. Mama and Papa were so scared of running out of money, they didn’t spend it that often on stuff like that. After Sen was born, I promised her life would be differently, even if I had to earn money myself…” She paused. “But after uncle ‘screwed us over’, as Papa put it, we came to our very last savings...I had no choice but to lend my personal savings as well. And now, there’s nothing left.” _

__ _ Mokou grimaced. She had no idea how to fix poverty. And with the economy’s current state, it’d be too hard for the kid to find a job that wouldn’t kill her. _

__ _ “Do you really have to buy something?” Mokou asked. “Why can’t you just make something for her instead?” _

__ _ “Even materials cost money.” the girl muttered. That was true… _

__ _ “There’s a lot to grab out here. I make stuff from scratch all the time.” _

__ _ “Anything a baby sister would like?” _

__ _ Mokou paused to think. “Well...I hadn’t tried it myself before, but…” _

__ _ She stood up and walked out of the clearing. The girl didn’t follow; she only sat in confusion. _

__ _ Mokou returned with her pockets stuffed. Sitting back down, she pulled some straw out from one pocket and set it down in between them. _

__ _ “Stuff gets abandoned out here all the time.” Mokou said as she worked. She took some strands and started tying them together. “You can do this with other things; like grass and long leaves.” She twisted some to stick out, becoming limbs. “But I thought you’d want something nicer than that.” _

__ _ When the miniature human figure was completed, she handed it to the girl. Then, Mokou pulled something out of the opposite pocket. It was a few different colored cloth. _

__ _ “This part’s a little more difficult, but if you know what you’re doing, you won’t need to know how to sow.” _

__ _ Mokou took a yellow cloth and wrapped it around the figure’s body, forming a dress. She curled the two ends of the cloth around the “neck” and tied them together. This kept the dress from falling over. Then, she handed it to the girl. _

__ _ “There. That one’s for you.” _

__ _ She looked up. “For me?” _

__ _ “Yeah. I don’t really need one. And a doll for Sen should be made from your own hands.” She pulled out the rest of the straw from her pocket. “I’ll help you with keeping it together, but just copy what I just showed you.” _

__ _ The girl nodded. “Okay!” _

__ _ It took longer to make the second doll’s body, though only by a few more minutes. Mokou was actually impressed at how fast the girl had picked up the art. She really only had to help her with tying it tightly. She held out the remaining cloths. _

__ _ “You know Sen better than I, so...which one should we dress her with?” _

__ _ The girl immediately went for the only red one. “This. She wears a red dress.” A pause. “She  _ only _ wears a red dress…” _

__ _ “I see…” Mokou set the other cloths aside. “If you want, you can take another or two so the doll has options.” _

__ _ However, she shook her head. “I think Sen would keep the red dress on forever, even if you could make her something golden or jade.” _

__ _ After dressing the doll, Mokou gave the remaining materials to the girl. Despite protest, she insisted. _

__ _ “You got this down pretty quickly; and like I said before, I hadn’t really done it myself either. You might as well put these to use, since I won’t.” _

__ _ Reluctantly, the girl added the remaining straw and cloth into her arms. _

__ _ With their task done, Mokou gestured the girl to follow her back the way they came. She lead them back to the path. While she usually would depart from there, she decided to escort her further. _

__ _ “You never answered  _ my _ question.” The girl said as they walked. _

__ _ “Question…?” Mokou paused to remember. “But I did.” _

__ _ “Well, you never gave me a name.” _

__ _ Mokou grit her teeth. She really tried to avoid sharing an identity with others, even false ones. She preferred if people were unaware of her existence altogether… _

__ _ “Mokou.” _

__ _ This went against her better judgement, although...would they even see each other again? Would it really matter if she knew her given name, at least? _

__ _ “Mokou?” the girl repeated. “That’s a nice one…” _

__ _ “Mm…” _

__ _ There was a brief silence between them, until the girl broke it. _

__ _ “I’m Hisa.” _

__ _ Mokou exhaled sharply. She was hoping the girl wouldn’t introduce herself; wouldn’t do anything more to make her memorable. _

__ _ “That one’s nice, too.” Mokou responded, more gruffly than she intended. _

__ _ After another minute, Mokou stopped in her tracks. The nearest village was becoming visible. She didn’t want to be spotted… _

__ _ Hisa had also stopped, and looked back at Mokou. “What is it…?” _

__ _ “I...don’t live here. Sorry, I have to go now.” She quickly turned, but was prevented from moving by Hisa’s response. _

__ _ “You won’t even follow me home? Sen might want to meet you...and my parents too!” _

__ _ Mokou contemplated in silence. She didn’t go meet people. She hardly went into towns. And she never even stayed in the same place for too long… _

__ _ She couldn’t. She was eternal, and everyone else wasn’t. _

__ _ Without looking back, she responded, “Sorry kid...but it’s best I stay here.” _

__ _ This time, she started walking before Hisa could speak again. After several steps, her pace picked up. She wouldn’t run, though. She simply jogged, until she veered off the path entirely. Despite the anxiety over the girl coming after her, it seemed she had stood her ground and let Mokou go. _

__ _ That made her feel even worse, for some odd reason. _

* * *

Mokou opened her eyes again. This time, she was sitting in snow, and the surface against her back wasn’t bark…

That’s right. It was the year 2553. This was Crow’s Nest; the part set aside just for their little group.

She hadn’t seen Hisa, or Sen, in a few thousand years.

Because of course Mokou couldn’t have left that quickly. She lingered in that area...until Hisa wandered out again. She had tried to stay hidden, but she eventually found herself having to escort the girl out of the wild multiple times. In some cases, that little sister of hers was there too.

Until they stopped coming. Although they warned her in advance, so she didn’t worry too much. Ever since Mokou taught Hisa how to make dolls, she found herself making more for people who saw her own and Sen’s. She started earning money again, if not a little. It kept the family going, until one day, her father finally found a job in another town.

They moved away, and Mokou finally left as well. She continued her movement...she never knew which town they had moved to, though, so she didn’t expect to see them again.

And she didn’t. By that point, the rumors she heard from the few youkai that remained in the land intrigued her too much. An illusionary world that humans barely knew of where magic was still very prominent...it was too perfect.

Mokou clenched a fist.

_ I’m an idiot for getting too close...Centuries later, and now I’m getting worked up over two girls who wouldn’t have lived very long anyway. I shouldn’t be worried about them...at this point, I’ll never figure out what happened to them after. _

She sighed.

_ I should’ve made them keep their dolls, too. _

She might have completely forgotten them, had she done that. She had learned the names and seen the faces of so many humans; Hisa and Sen would’ve just blended in, without any note of why she knew them.

But they just had to leave their dolls for her.

And Marisa just had to go through her things.

And they just had to put “little Sen” in the Christmas tree.

Mokou drank the last drops of her cold eggnog and slowly made her way back into the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am happy with this one...I've been worrying that the quality of my writing in this has been dropping, so I worked really hard on making this one nicer. And you can tell I've been sitting on this idea since the beginning...


	12. Dec. 24th - Secret Santa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Christmas Day, the personnel of Crow's Nest unwrap their secret gifts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I initially wanted to release both this chapter and the final one at the same time. Since today is International Fanworks Day, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to wrap this up. I've actually had this chapter done for weeks, but...I have all the ideas written down for the finale, I've just been finding it so hard to write it out. I couldn't even get it done today.
> 
> So, yes: I haven't cancelled this story and Oneshotober 2019, I've just been having a hard time writing for them and also trying to work on other things too. So far the goal is to at least get them done before October 2020. I'm going to keep the updated dates in 2019, though. I don't want to clutter the search engine with works that should've been done already.
> 
> Anyway. I did actually randomly generate all the Secret Santa pairings for this, and I do have a chart keeping track of who gives who what. However, I felt like it'd be more fun to let the dear readers use the clues and process of elimination to figure it out.

Mokou refused to talk about why she left and where she went after returning. One by one, the others slowly gave up in trying to learn. Although Usze and N’tho still had their concerns, as did Vale to a smaller degree.

However, it was time for the exchange everyone had been waiting weeks for, so nothing could be done about her at the moment. Gathered in the common room, everyone started pulling out presents under the tree labeled just for them.

For some, it was exactly what they wanted.

“Aw, sweet!” Suika held up the case of exotic alcohol.

Miranda gave her a stern look. “Don’t even think about drinking that now.”

“You think she’s going to listen?” Marisa asked. “I thought you learned by now about keeping oni from drinking…” She looked at her own gift; two golden and jeweled bracelets that were connected by chains. “Man, someone must really like me…”

“Or want to see you arrested.”

“Arrested? What are-” She took a closer look. “Oh, fuck me!”

“No thanks.” N’tho wrapped his new doarmir fur around his shoulders, testing it out. “My standards are not that low.”

Marisa gave him the stink eye, only to pause at the sight. “And what’s that?”

“Doarmir fur. Shipmasters tend to craft their own cloaks with this material...it appears someone has been paying attention to rumors…”

“I hope you get that promotion, you deserve it.” Miranda pulled out her own gift from its box. It was a strange looking uniform...while using modern 2550’s materials, it was styled to look like the uniform of a samurai general. “If only UNSC dress code weren’t so strict…”

“You would have looked most intimating in battle wearing that.”

“Thank you. The fur suits you, too.”

“Gah, stop flirting you two.” Marisa complained.

“And those handcuffs suit you as well, Kirisame.”

“Shut up!”

Others saw their gifts... _ differently. _

Buck held up a pipe and reading glasses in anger. “Who the fuck here is saying I’m old?!”

Multiple people giggled.

“You think that’s bad?” Johnson asked. He held up a book. “Look what I got.”

“A book? Damn, your secret santa really misjudged your literacy…”

“It’s not the fact it’s a book, dumbass!” He pushed it into Buck’s chest. “It’s the contents.”

Buck examined it and saw the title:  _ Social Interaction with Sangheili for Dummies; Avery Johnson Edition _ . There was no author listed.

“Someone really went through the trouble of writing a whole damn book for that joke…” Buck muttered.

“Yeah, who does that?! All I did was grab the first pair of glasses I could find…”

“Wait…so it was  _ you _ !”

While they agreed to keep the identities of each Secret Santa hidden, a few gifts easily gave it away.

Master Chief stared at the life-sized replica of his helmet...made out of ice.

“I don’t think this is safe to be worn.”

Cortana appeared on a recently unwrapped Covenant holotank, which was already connected to Crow’s Nest systems. “What a shame. The ice helmet even included the port my chip would go in.”

“I’m not wearing this.”   
“But I think  _ you-know-who _ would appreciate seeing it used at least once.”

Chief turned to eye Cirno, who was enjoying the mini fridge that she perfectly fit into. He sighed, and took off his own helmet. He slid the icy replica onto his head, every part of his face reacting poorly.

The ice fairy paused her appreciation of the fridge when she saw Chief wearing her gifts. She clapped and cheered.

_ I knew he’d like it! _

“I hate every second of this.”

“What a shame.” Chief turned when he heard the Arbiter behind him. “I quite enjoy what I received.”

“Really, what is it?” Cortana asked.

He held up a simple data chip. “According to the card attached, this contains ‘a plethora of political and diplomatic data from Forerunner archives’.”

“I wonder who could have put that together…” Chief said in a dry tone.

“Obvious.” Arbiter nodded in agreement. “Though, not as obvious as ‘Taham’s…”

All three of them turned to see Usze putting fire enchantments on his sword.

Chief tilted his head. “Can he do that…?”

“Well, Sangheili custom never considered magic before…” Arbiter replied back.

However, it  _ is _ the thought that counts.

Reimu jumped for joy after pulling out a bag of yen labelled “donation”. Guilty Spark squealed about his detachable limbs. Nitori ran around in a heavy and ornate turtle shell. Mokou, dressed in her new phoenix headdress, shook her head in exasperation at the three. And Vale smiled as she already began studying a Japanese dictionary.

Christmas is a time of giving, but being on the receiving end feels just as great.


End file.
